The Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill is off to a rocky start. North Carolina’s 34–9 loss to UCF in Week 4 dropped the Tar Heels to 2–2 on the season, but more importantly, highlighted just how badly UNC has struggled against top-level competition.
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In their two matchups against Power 4 opponents so far, UNC has been outscored 82–23, falling 48–14 to TCU in the opener and then 34–9 to UCF. That 59-point margin marks the program’s worst two-game stretch against major-conference foes since 2006, when the Heels were blown out by Clemson and Miami by a combined 65 points. That season ended with a 3–9 record and the firing of head coach John Bunting after seven straight losses.
Belichick was brought in to steady the program and inject a winning culture, but four weeks into his debut season, the Heels looked unsettled. While UNC has handled its two non–Power 4 games, the team has looked outclassed whenever facing stronger opposition. As Bill Belichick walked out of the tunnel after UNC’s loss to UCF, fans let it be known clearly how they felt about the game and the coach as they booed him on his way out.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Bill Belichick was met by his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, in the team's tunnel after UNC's blowout loss today.
Hudson is very involved with the team's day-to-day operations.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 21, 2025
The bye week comes at a critical time. Belichick and his staff now have two weeks to reassess before hosting Clemson (1–3, 0–2 ACC) on October 4 at Kenan Stadium. That matchup suddenly looms large: another lopsided defeat could cement growing skepticism among fans who expected Belichick’s defensive genius to translate more quickly to college football.
For now, UNC enters its off week with more questions than answers about its offensive identity, its ability to compete in the trenches, and whether Belichick can stop the season from spiraling into something reminiscent of 2006.
